How the 'unpretentious beauty' of 'flyover states' will influence your next car color

Chemical giant BASF is getting mighty philosophical in its 2014 report Under the Radar, predicting the popular automotive colors of the 2018 model year. The company believes that the US is embracing "the unpretentious beauty of the 'flyover states," and the country is also returning to normalcy after the hard recessions. "Noting many political, societal and technological references, we realized that the 'flyover states' and the Rust Belt regions are becoming increasingly productive in our post-Recession era," said Paul Czornij, Technical Manager for the BASF Color Excellence group in the study.

Whether you think its fair to lump people from Billings, MT, and Akron, OH together into a homogenous group as flyover states, you still have to love some of the names of the colors BASF anticipates becoming popular (examples right). La Garra Charrua is a prairie-inspired blue. Haymaker is a light, burnt orange type of color, which is rather similar to what Ford already offers on the Focus ST. Fitted Green is a light green. Gray Elevator is a darker shade, and finally Take 10,000 is a brown with some sparkle to it.

Autoblog interviewed Czornij earlier this year. Four years ago, he predicted earthy colors like deep orangish reds would make a comeback, and they showed up on a variety of models, at least for show cars. At the time, he also predicted that the leaks from Edward Snowden would cause Americans' to choose colors with trustworthy connotations like blues and greens. Previous years' studies also anticipated the rise of greens and browns. These forecasts are still somewhat reflected in the 2014 report. Scroll down to read more about BASF's automotive prophesies.

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BASF predicts Rust Belt cities, unpretentious innovation and sustainable living will help drive North American color choices for 2018 model year vehicles

DETROIT, July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's BASF Coatings Color Collection 2014/2015 report, "Under the Radar," predicts a new level of normality is coming as North America bounces back from the recession and society embraces the unpretentious beauty of the "flyover states."

"'Under the Radar' helps car companies predict the mood of a specific region and provides exterior coating recommendations that reflect the ideals that may become popular two to three years out," said Paul Czornij, Technical Manager for the BASF Color Excellence group. "Noting many political, societal and technological references, we realized that the 'flyover states' and the Rust Belt regions are becoming increasingly productive in our post-Recession era."

Local Color Trends

The five local theme colors automakers may consider in North America for model year 2018 vehicles are:

La Garra Charrua – a light blue color representing an unpretentious look at mother nature reminiscent of the prairie spaces in middle America.
Haymaker – a rich orange that seems dirty, but upon a second glance, sparkles much like the charm of a rusty factory in one of America's Rust Belt cities.
Fitted Green – a soft green exemplifying the look of fresh mowed grass and a gentle reminder of a simpler, sustainable life.
Gray Elevator – a dark silver that has an imprint of American culture woven through it as the tone harkens to a connected world where people come together.
Take 10,000 – a brownish color with a lot of sparkle that reminds individuals to remember the specialness of natural experiences.

The North American local theme focuses on today's individuals who are innovating in the most unlikely areas. For example, once a cash-only model, farmer's markets are now offering credit card capabilities. The "cottage industry" is another example as individuals are harkening back to a simpler time and developing low-key solutions that advance society through modest, yet sustainable models.

"The colors we've chosen will highlight a car's beauty and create a strong color memory while reflecting both the driver's desires and the North American consciousness," said Czornij.

Global Color Trends

"Under the Radar" also presents 60 other colors representing worldwide automotive color trends pulling expertise from studios in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Through intensive collaboration, the teams provide automotive customers with global trends and regional differences in the world of color.

The global theme of the latest color trend forecast, "Under the Radar", indicates a budding trend – people around the world will appreciate uniqueness and see their individual thinking and actions increasingly impactful in society. The choices of automotive colors will reflect an increased consumer demand for differentiation and individuality. Bright colors as well as warm-influenced colors in new metal effects will enrich the color portfolio of the cars of tomorrow.

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Boy it did not take long for the horrible fad "matte" colors to go away, thank goodnes! I am just so sick of the 6 different shades of silver and greys that most cars offer. Its nice to see some Earth tones coming back....especially in interiors.

You know why so many cars now are white, black, or gray? It's not because the owners like those colors, it's because the dealers decide that those are the most inoffensive colors they can pick from and are the most likely to sell. Nobody buys a gray car because they like the color gray. The color is an afterthought. It's not even up for consideration because the other dozen of that model are the exact same color. I for one would love to see some more variety in the color palette on our roads. That said, some cars look better in some shades than others. The new Buicks look really good in that mocha brown they come in, and hot hatches always seem to look good in bright shades. There are also some cars that, in the right shade, can wear purples and oranges well.

My 2013 Chevy Sonic LT hatchback stands out nicely with its Inferno Orange Metallic paint. It looks flat orange-red at a distance, but when you get up close to it, you can see it shift to a bright orange and the metallic sparkles give it depth and character. I get compliments on the color all the time.

As someone who lived in "flyover" states and the NYC metro area, I'll gladly take the lower cost of living and less congestion offered in the mid-west. NYC is a nice place to visit but living in the area can be brutal to both your bank account and patience on the roads.

As someone who has lived on both coasts, the south and Midwest, let me share some information. The term "flyover" states are usually used by coastal people living very mediocre lives as a way to feel better about themselves.

Yeah, yeah. I keep hearing things like the economy, Edward Snowden, and who's winning American Idol ate going to influence the color palette of next year's cars, and year after year we get more reds, whites, silvers, and grays. Lame.

La Garra Charrúa is a term from Uruguay. The Charrúas were the natives that used to there. It litteraly means "The claws of the Charrua" and is used to denote braveness and strength, ussually when talking about their national football team (that uses sky-blued shirts). There must be some uruguaian choosing names in BASF... :)